Gaming machines are in wide use, particularly in various casinos, being largely games of chance, played for money with the hope of cash winnings.
Traditionally, the games have been played with coins or tokens. Often, players wish to continue playing, for example, at one particular machine where they expect a xe2x80x9cjackpotxe2x80x9d, and thus are very reluctant to leave to get more coins or tokens, fearing that someone else will strike the jackpot when they leave the machine.
Accordingly, many players would be eager to have a way to keep on playing on a cashless basis, so that they can dispense with the need to carry credit cards, coins, and tokens. This provides the convenience of not having to carry such items plus the safety of not having to carry a large amount of cash or vulnerable cards, plus the convenience of not having to have too many cards i.e. various credit cards or membership cards in the programs of the various casinos.
While a charge card might be used to obtain credit for playing the machines, this generally requires the presence of a charge card reader at each machine, which is an undesirable expense. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a cashless and cardless system for use by customers. The system may operate in conjunction with a central computer connected to a network of machines, or directly with individual machines themselves having electronic capability for direct interface by the customer. Furthermore, by this invention, individual house cards do not have to be issued by various casinos and players don""t need to enroll in casino""s program. Rather, a cardless and cashless system is usable with a variety of casinos and other business establishments which have gaming machines (which are included in the scope of the definition xe2x80x9ccasinoxe2x80x9d), whether or not a machine is equipped with a card reader. This is an advantage because there currently are hundreds of thousands slot machines without card readers.
In one embodiment of the gaming system method of this invention, a wireless communication device is used, such as a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a Palm V device, another portable computer, or the like, which device is capable of wireless (e.g. Infrared, Radio frequency, or microwave) data transmission, voice or otherwise. In this particular embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of: Providing call data identifying a gaming system player. The call is then initiated from the wireless communication device through a telephone call network to a financial center, which may be a bank, a money market fund, a clearing house, or another financial institution at which the player has an account. A cash transfer is made, based on the call data, with appropriate PIN numbers and other coded material as necessary to identify and legitimize the player and the wireless call. The cash transfer may be credited to the wireless communication device by the financial institution, typically by an encrypted transmission of data that is stored in the wireless communication device and authenticated by appropriate transaction codes. Alternatively, the cash transfer may be credited to a casino on behalf of the player.
One then communicates, simultaneously or later, using the wireless communication device, with the casino to transfer a portion (which may include all) of the predetermined cash balance from the wireless communication device to the credit of a particular gaming machine, which may be identified by a number or the like. This data may be provided directly to the gaming machine or via a central computer in the casino to the data machine, to enable the gaming machine to be played with the electronic cash transferred to it, being essentially identical to actual cash, thus providing the player with an electronic form of cash which may be used with the gaming machine. The player thus plays the particular gaming machine, using that portion of the cash balance which has been transferred to the machine.
As stated, this electronic transfer may be accomplished through a central computer of a network incorporating the gaming machine together with more like it, or the transfer maybe directly to a microprocessor in the gaming machine itself. Thus, making use of the wireless communication device such as his cell phone, the player does not have to leave the gaming machine, or carry cash or cards.
Thereafter, a subsequent step may be made, of communicating, using the wireless communication device, with the casino to obtain transfer of a cash balance from the particular gaming machine back to the wireless communication device (or to the casino, crediting the player). This cash balance may comprise winnings, and it also may comprise electronic cash initially provided by the above method to the machine.
Additionally or alternatively, thereafter, a subsequent step of communicating may be made, using the wireless communication device, to obtain transfer of such a remaining cash balance from the particular gaming machine to another gaming machine.
If desired, the step of communicating with the casino, either to a computer terminal or to individual machines, maybe accomplished by the use of an infrared communication system rather than the more conventional radio frequency communication. For example, the handheld device""s built-infrared port may be used.
Typically, the player may enter routing transaction data, which may include destination and amount, into his cell phone or other wireless communication device that he carries, to allow transmission of money credited to the cell phone to one or more of the gaming machines and/or for other charges as well, such as restaurant and hotel bills. The cell phone or the like (or the casino) may have its own routing number for wiring funds so that funds may arrive to the cell phone or casino as a packet of encrypted data, in a manner similar to a fund transfer between banks. The cell phone may then electronically dispense funds in similar manner. The casino may receive, hold, and dispense funds on instruction from the player, via a cell phone or the like.
If desired, the basic data such as routing numbers and the like may be placed on a card, and swiped by the user through a card reader, followed by a PIN number, to prepare a transmission involving several long identification numbers and the like.
Specifically, wireless technology of the type being pioneered by ATandT Wireless Services may be used for the specific technology in conjunction with the method of this invention. Alternatively, various other systems are well known, and may be modified by those skilled in the art of programming and the like to make possible the use of the methods of this invention. Other systems that may be used include the Itineris Wireless Service with the iPIN platform of France Telecom. Also, the iPIN technology may be used in other ways to apply the method of this invention.
Encryption and other details of the process of this invention maybe embodied in the manner described in Nguyen U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/732,650, filed Dec. 7, 2000.
The particular gaming machines used herein are of a large variety, incorporating, among others, slot machines of the spinning reel type; video gaming terminals, such as video poker; gaming software which provides a game session running on a computer, or other forms of mechanical, typically, coin operated, gaming machines.
While handheld wireless communication devices have been particularly disclosed as useable with this invention, it is also possible that the invention of this application may be used in conjunction with a wired telephone to achieve similar results to that described above.
Furthermore, if desired, the player can preload his cell phone, PDA, Palm device, portable computer, or the like with cash prior to coming to the casino for convenience. Corresponding wired devices might be used for this purpose as well.
As a further modification of this invention, the situation may be simplified for the player by preloading the communication device as mentioned immediately above with the necessary data for communication with the financial center so that the game player does not have punch in an elaborate series of account number and identification codes while in the casino. Furthermore, the system may be preset to a set limit such as $100 per day. Also, each transaction may be preset, for example $20 per transaction, of cash transferred to the appropriate destination as specified by the user, via if desired a preset routing address or one of a list of preset routing addresses, corresponding to the casinos where the gamer wishes to play. Thus the gamer can make that selection and transfer in a simple manner with just a few numbers.
Thus, the gamer can use his communication device to transfer limited amounts of cash by a process which maybe as simple as one touch, after calling for electronic access to the system, and, preferably, a pin number for authentication of the user, so that third parties will not have access to the process if they gain access to the communication device.
Another desired feature to the process is a step where the legality of the transaction is verified. For example, if in a particular state there is a law limiting the amount of money which may be electronically transferred for gaming to a particular amount, that can be built into a legality screen portion of the program.